Pediatricians on concussions: Previous injuries can triple recovery time in kids

Children and adolescents who suffer a concussion have a significantly longer recovery time if they have had a concussion in the past, according to a new study published online Monday by Pediatrics.

Researchers gathered data from 280 concussion patients at the emergency department of a children’s hospital over 12 months, using a questionnaire repeatedly for three months after the concussion or until all symptoms were gone.

The study found that patients who just had their first concussion experienced symptoms for about 12 days. Patients with one previous concussion felt symptoms for an average of 24 days and those with multiple concussions in the past experienced symptoms for 28 days.

For patients who had suffered a concussion in the last year, it took an average of 35 days for the symptoms to go away. Other factors that predicted a longer recovery time included being age 13 or older, having more severe symptoms at the time of the ER visit and having no loss of consciousness.